Apparatus for producing cast-in-place pipe



Dec. 10, 1963 c. H.,BLIXT 3,113,364

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CAST-IN-PLACE PIPE Filed June 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q INVENTOR.

CLARE/V65 Al. Buxr BY WWW ATTOIQNEKS Dec. 10, 1963 c. H. BLIXT 3,113,364

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CAST-IN-PLACE PIPE Filed June 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q a T a s Fly. 4

2, 21 2 I F 2 2 Q 4 ,9 2 5 z; I 2 3 E: 5 INVENTOR.

CLARE/V65 A, Ell/(7 BY United States Patent 3,113,364 APPARATUS FoR P- onUcrNG CAST=IN-PLACE PIPE Clarence H. Blist, Escalon, Califi, assignor to Nwioint Concrete Pipe Company, Yuba City, Calif., a corporation of California Filed June 5, 1961, Ser. No. 114,770 4 Claims. (Cl. 25-32) This invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for making cast-in-place pipe. More particularly, the invention involves a guide and hold-down mechanism for use in a pipe casting machine, such as disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,731,698, and having a plunality of form sections which are separately added to prelaid sections as the machine is advanced along a trench.

An important object of this invention is to provide a novel and useful improvement for pipe making apparatus enabling the form sections to be received and guided into their proper positions relative to the cast-in-place pipe machine as the machine is advanced.

Another and more specific object is to provide an apparatus for producing cast-in-place conduits having a skid support adapted to be moved longitudinally along the bottom of a trench, an inner form including a plurality of sections releasably secured together and supported from said skid and hopper, means mounted to said skid and arranged for depositing cementitious material over and around said form, said hopper means providing a barrier wall above and around said form to prevent material from spilling forward thereof, and the improvement comprising: means mounted to and projecting forwardly of said barrier for guiding a form section onto said skid including a plate member inclined radially outward and forward relative to said form sections and having an opening between said barrier and plate, a support arm pivotally mounted intermediate its ends from said means, a roller member rotatably mounted upon one end of said arm and radially aligned with said opening, and means resiliently engaged with the other end of said arm tending to pivot said arm and urge said roller through said opening and into radial engagement with a form section.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent in view of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like parts are identified by like reference numorals throughout the same,

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal center section of a portion of a cast-in-place pipe machine in use and illustrating a preferred embodiment of the inventive improvemerit hereinafter described;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section of a portion of the castin-place pipe machine taken on lines 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the novel improvement shown in FIG. 1 and further illustrating the structural cooperation between it and a form section being added to the chain of pre-laid form sections.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a portion of a cast-in-place pipe laying machine 10 comprising a skid support 1 1 which is adapted to be moved longitudinally along the bottom of a trench '12. Skid 1.1 supports a form member 13 including a plurality of sections 13a that are releasably secured together by connections 13b and supported from the skid by a lower form and support means 14 having support rollers 15. A hopper 16 is also supported upon the skid providing a barrier wall 17 about and around the form members. in operation, skid 11 may be advanced along the bottom of trench 12 3,111.3,3d4 Patented Dec. 16, 1963 by means of a rope tow (not shown) or other conventional apparatus. As skid 1:1 is advanced cementitious material is deposited into hopper 16, spilling around form members 13 and 14; also, additional form sections 13a are continuously added to the pie-laid sections making up form 13. Thus, it will be understood that the process of form member encasement is intended to be continuous, the length of form '13 being increased as the skid is advanced. Inasmuch as the above detailed structures are already known in the art, having been more particularly described in United States Patent No. 2,731,698, no further explanation of these structures or their functions is believed necessary. However, a general description of this prior art apparatus is given to facilitate and enhance a description of the invention and to clarify the precise points of novelty.

This invention is more especially directed to an improvement of the prior art apparatus consisting of a plurality of form ho1d-down and guide mechanisms generally designated by reference numeral 21. Each mechanism 21 is comprised essentially of a structural support mounted to and projecting forward of barrier 17 and including a guide plate member 22. Each plate member 22 is inclined radially outwardly and forwardly relative to form sections 13a and barrier 17, respectively; and an opening 23 is formed between each guide plate and the barrier plate. A roller support arm 24 having a roller member 25 rotatably mounted at one end is pivotally supported upon a shaft 26. Roller members 25 are radially aligned relative to their respective openings 23 and each roller member may be moved through its opening into engagement with a circumjacent form section. Roller support arm 24 is engaged at its opposite end by a coiled compression spring 27 seated on the upper surface of guide plate 22. Boss members. 28 and 28a are formed at the end of each arm 24 and the upper surface of guide plates 22, respectively. The boss members insure a proper contact position for the spring which urges the arms about their pivot supports forcing their respective roller members 25 toward the form sections 13a.

It Will be noted that the hold-down mechanisms 21 :are disposed to the right and left sides of top center and each is angularly spaced relative to the form sections. Accordingly, with the three mechanisms shown it will be apparent especially in view of FIGS. 3 and 4 that the engaged form section will be contoured and guided onto the inner form and support means 14.

The mechanism 21 also defines a housing for its roller 25 and support arm 24. For this reason the supporting structure further includes side plates 29 and top plate 30. Top plates 3%) additionally serve to limit the degree of support arm pivoting.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example thereof and that various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement or" certain parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the attached claims, and each of such changes is contemplated.

Having thus described my invention, what -I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for producing cast-in-place conduits and having a skid support adapted to be moved longitudinally along the bottom of a trench, an inner form including a plurality of sections releasably secured together and supported from said skid, and hopper means mounted to said skid and arranged for depositing cementitious material over and around said form, said hopper means providing a barrier wall above and around said form to prevent material from spilling forward thereof, and the improvement comprising: means including a plate member mounted to and projecting forwardly of said barrier for guiding a form section onto said skid, said plate member being inclined radially outward and forward relative to form sections disposed on said skid and having an opening between said barrier and its forward leading edge, a support arm pivotally mounted intermediate its ends from said means, a roller member rotatably mounted upon one end of said arm and radially aligned with said opening, and means resiliently engaged with the other end of said arm tending to pivot said arm and urge said roller through said opening and into radial engagement with a form section, said plate member and roller member serving to deflect a member into position as it is lowered onto said skid and to resiliently bias said form member onto said skid, respectively.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said guide means defines a housing for said roller and further including side plates and a top plate, said support arm being mounted upon a shafit intermediate said side plates.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said resilient means is supported from the top surface of said guide plate.

4. In apparatus for producing oast-in-place conduits and having a skid support adapted to be moved longitudinally along the bottom of a trench, an inner form including a plurality of sections releasably secured together and supported from said skid, and hopper means mounted to said skid and arranged for depositing cementitious material over and around said form, said hopper means providing a barrier wall above and around said form to prevent material from spilling forward thereof, and the improvement comprising: support means mounted to and projecting forwardly of said barrier for guiding a form section onto said skid including a plurality of guide plate members inclined radiallly outward and fiorward relative to form sections rearwardly of said barrier and having openings between said barrier and plates, and a plurality of roller members supported from said support means and radially aligned with respective openings, said guide plate members and rollers being positioned to the right and left sides of top center relative to said form sections, each plate member being angulanly spaced relative to the inner form, and means resiliently urging each roller through its respective opening and int o radial engagement with a form section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 332,126 White Dec. 8, 1885 2,173,859 Piperoux Sept. 26, 1939 2,489,811 Perkins Nov. 29, 1949 2,731,698 Tunsen Jan. 24, 1956 2,878,544 Diiday Mar. 24, 1959 2,957,689 Clemente Oct. 25, 1960 2,968,081 Williamson et a1 Jan. 17, 1961 3,032,852 Hanson May 8, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 570,970 Great Britain July 31, 1945 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CAST-IN-PLACE CONDUITS AND HAVING A SKID SUPPORT ADAPTED TO BE MOVED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE BOTTOM OF A TRENCH, AN INNER FORM INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SECTIONS RELEASABLY SECURED TOGETHER AND SUPPORTED FROM SAID SKID, AND HOPPER MEANS MOUNTED TO SAID SKID AND ARRANGED FOR DEPOSITING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL OVER AND AROUND SAID FORM, SAID HOPPER MEANS PROVIDING A BARRIER WALL ABOVE AND AROUND SAID FORM TO PREVENT MATERIAL FROM SPILLING FORWARD THEREOF, AND THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: MEANS INCLUDING A PLATE MEMBER MOUNTED TO AND PROJECTING FORWARDLY OF SAID BARRIER FOR GUIDING A FORM SECTION ONTO SAID SKID, SAID PLATE MEMBER BEING INCLINED RADIALLY OUTWARD AND FOR- 